Office 2008 Coming January 2008 — We announced today that Office 2008 for Mac will be released to manufacturing ("RTM") this December, which will allow for retail availability in the US in mid-January (planning for Macworld), and allow us to deliver Office 2008 to our volume license customers …

Sony offers repair on 416,000 Cyber-shot cameras — Sony announced plans today to offer repairs on the casings of 416,000 Cyber-shot DSC-T5 digital cameras the company has sold, as the bottom plating can warp and create a sharp edge which can cut or scratch user's hands.

John Dvorak isn't just cranky, he's cranky and wrong — John C. Dvorak, Cranky Geek and long respected old dude, has penned a shallow but multi-part whine about the web 2.0 economy and the likelihood that it's going to collapse at any moment. It's titled Bubble 2.0 Coming Soon and it's crap.

Because I'm a sucker — My oh my, turn on the blogosphere this morning and what do I find? A serious brouhaha brewing and boiling because Dvorak went and wrote the tiresome, "Bubble 2.0″ ("we're in one and it'll end badly"). Go read all of the techmeme links if you want the full skinny …

Microsoft tries free office suite — Free copies of some of Microsoft's office software will soon be available. — The software giant said it would make ad-supported copies of the Works package available within "months". — The programs will not run in a web browser but will be installed …

MySpace Nabs Lonelygirl15 Finale — In a deal that signals the ascendance of the independent video creator, MySpace will host and feature the Lonelygirl15 season finale this Friday. The finale, a culmination of the series to date, with 12 episodes released every hour over starting at 8 a.m. Pacific …

Third generation HD DVD players on October 1st? — There's no doubt that the HD Format war is in full swing, and just when the Blu-ray camp thinks they're going to catch up with HD DVD's full featured players, HD DVD raises the bar. We'll probably have to wait 'till CEDIA to get the official word …

File-sharing is a "petty offense," say German prosecutors — The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has run into another roadblock in its legal battles against suspected file-sharers in Europe. German prosecutors have begun denying requests to force ISPs to identify …

How long will it take at rush hour? — Let's say you want to leave from Berkeley to catch the sunset from the beach at Half Moon Bay, to relax on the sand and watch the sun sink into the Pacific. We all know Google Maps will tell you how to get there. Now it's better at helping you decide when to leave to catch your sunset on time.

Content Makers Are Accused of Exaggerating Copyright — An association of computer and communication companies, including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, on Wednesday accused several professional sports leagues, book publishers and other media companies of misleading and threatening consumers with overstated copyright warnings.

Protecting National Security and Upholding Public Safety — ICE partners with industry to launch largest enforcement action of its kind targeting importers and distributors of illegal devices used to circumvent anti-piracy technology in top gaming consoles — 32 search warrants executed …

VMware Fusion for Mac Due Aug. 6 — VMware's Fusion software for Apple's Macintosh will hit the market Aug. 6, after months of testing and beta releases. — The software, which allows a number of operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Linux and Sun Microsystems' Solaris to run on the Mac …